Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-05
WATERING THE FLoCKs.
DR.. Talmage's Second Sermon at the
Hamptons.

The Worlds Great Want Is a Cool, Refresh
ing, Satisfying Drausht - The Gospel
Well Deep Enough to Quench the Thirst
of All.
The HAMpToNs, July 1.-THE Rev. i.
De Witt Talmage, DID,, pastor OF the
Brooklyn Tabernacle, continues to enjoy
the summer in this pleasant place. His
sermon for to-day was on the text, I'VE
cannot, until all the focks be gathered to-
gether, and till they roll the stone from the
wells mouth; then we water the sheep.
Genesis xxx. s.
A scene in Mesopotamia, beautifully
in that region. The fields around about it
white with three focks of sheep lying
down waiting for the watering. hear
their bleating coming on the bright air,
and the laughter Of young men and
maidens indulging in rustic repartee. L
look off and see other focks of sheep
coming. Meanwhile Jacob, stranger, on
the interesting errand OF looking for wife,
comes to the we'll. A beautiful shepherdess
comes to the same we'll. see her ap-
preaching, followed by her fathers flock
Of sheep. It was o memorable meeting.
Jacob married that shepherdess. The
Bible account of it is: Jacob kissed
Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept."
1t has always been a mystery to me what
he found to cry about! But before that
scene occurred, Jacob accosts the shep-
herds and asks them why they postpone
the shaking of the thirst of these sheep, and
why they did not Immediately proceed to
water them. The shepherds reply to the
effect: eve are all good neighbors, and
as q matter of courtesy we wait until all
the sheep of the neighborhood come up.
Besides that, this stone on the wells mouth
hold of it and push it aside, and then the
buckets and the tloughs are filled, and the
sheep are satisfied. We cannot, until all
the focks are gathered together, and till
they roll the stone from the wells mouth;
then we water the Sheep"
oh, this is thirsty world! Hot for the
head, and blistering for the feet, and
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is q cool, refreshing, satisfying
draught. We wander around and we find
the cistern empty. Long and tedious
drought has dried up the worlds fountains,
but nearly nineteen centuries ago q shep-
herd with crook in the shape of cross,
and feet cut to the bleeding, explored the
desert passages of this world, and enc day
came across q we'll q thousand feet deep,
bubbling and bright and opalescent, and
looked to the north, and the south, and the
east, and the west, and cried out with n
voice strong and musical that rang through
the ages, "Ro, every one that thirsteth
come We to the waters!"
Now great flock of sheep to-day gather
around this Gospel we'll. There are a
great many thirsty souls. wonder why
the locks of all nations do not gather
why SO many stay thirsty; and while am
wondering about it, my text breaks forth
in the exclamation, saying: 1--WE cannot,
and till they roll the stone from the
wells mouth; then We water the sheep"
If herd of swine come to well they
angrily jostle each other for the prece-
dence; if drove of cattle come to we'll,
they hook each other back from the water,
but when flock of sheep come, though q
hundred of them shall be disappointed,
they only express it by sad bleating; they
come together peacefully. We want a
great multitude to come around the Gospel
we'll. 1 know there are those who do not
like crowd-they think a crowd is vulgar.
If they are oppressed for room in church
it makes them positively impatient and
/, belligerent. We have had people per-
manently leave our church because SC
many other people come to it. Not so did
these oriental shepherds. They waited
until all the tiocks were gathered, and the
more hocks that came the better they liked
it. And SO we ought TO be anxious that all
the people should come. Go out into the
highways and the hedges and compel them
to come in. Go to the rich and tell them
they are INDECENT without the Gospel of
! Jesus. Go to the poor and tell them the
! afiiuence there is in Christ. Go to the
blind and tell them of the touch that gives
! eternal illumination. Go to the lame und
tell them of the Joy that will make the
lams man leap like a hart. Gather all the
sheep Oft all the mountains. None so torn
OF the dogs, none SO sick, none so worried,
none SO dying rs to be omitted. Why not
gether great flock? All Brooklyn in a
flock; all New York in o flock; all London
in flock; all the world in flock. This
Gospel we'll is deep enough to put out the
turning thirst of the twelve hundred mil
lions Of the race. Do not let the church,
by spirit of eSclusiveness, keep the world
out. Let down all the bars, swing open
all the gates, scatter all the invitations,
whatsoever will, let him come" Come,
white and black. Come, red men of the
forest. Come, Laplander, out of the snow.
Come, Patagonian, out of the heat. Come
in furs. Come painting under palm leaves.
Come one. Come all. Come now. AS
at this we'll of Mesopotamia Jacob and
Rachel We're betrOthered, SO this mOrnin o
at this we'll of salvation Christ our Shep-
herd will meet you coming up with your
long fiocks of cares and anxieties, and he
will stretch out his hand in pledge of his
affection. while all Heaven will cry out
"Behold. the bridegroom cometh; go ye out
! to meet him."
| You notice that this we'll of Mesopotamia
had stone on it, which must be removed
before the sheep could be watered; and find
on the we'll of salvation to-day impede
ments and obstacles, which must be re-
moved in order that you may obtain the
refreshment and life of this Gospel. In
your case the impeachment is pride of heart.
You cannot bear to come to SO democratic
fountain; you do not want to come with
SO many others. 1t is to you like when YOU
are dry, coming to town pump, as COM
pared with sitting in parlor slipping out
OF chased chalice which has Just been lifted
from a silver salver. Not so many publi-
cans and sinners. You want to get to
heaven, but it must be in special car.
with your feet on a Turkish ottoman and a
band OF music on board the train. You do
not want to be in company with rustic
Jacob and Rachel, and to be drinking out
OF the fountain where 10000 sheep have
been drinking before you. You will have
to remove the obstacle of pride, or never
find your way to the we'll. Yon will have